Automatic safe-closer



E. G. LEON'.

AUTOMATIC SAFE CLOSER. 4 APPLICATION FILED IAN. 5v, 1.920..-

Patented Ju1y27, 1920.

s SHEETS-smug. f'

,A .Elmer 64Leon Witness v IMM @M @y E. G. LEON. AUTOMATIC SAFE CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1920.

Patented July 27, 1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` Elmer ,Gl'llon E. G.-LEoN. IAUTOMATIC SA'FECLOSERL APPucAIIoN FILED JAN. s. :920. 1,348, 01 7., Patented July 27, 19204.-

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

El mer G .L e o n witness @Hor neg UNITED PATENT oFFicE. j

ELME-R G. LEON, F HUBBLETON, .,WIscoivsm.V y

AUTOMATIC i SAFE-CLOSER.

To all whom t may conce-rn.' l Y n Be it known that l, Emmi: Gr. LEON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hubbleton, in the county of Jefferson and State of lVisconsin, yhave invented newA and useful Improvements 'in Automatic Safe-Closers, of which the following iis a specification.

This invention relates tto safety devices for banks or other institutions 1using safes and has for its object the provision of a device associated with the handle of the door of a time lockV safe whereby upon closing of a switch, such as a foot push button; the safe door will `be locked lto preventY access thereto by robbers.

Another object is the provision 'of a v de'- vice ofthis character in which the member connected with thesa-fe door is under spring tension which is released by the closing Iof the circuit through an electro-magnet-'con-V trolling the position of a trigger.

A further object is the provision of'a devicejof this character so constructedvthat liability of its being set off byaccidentwill bey reduced to the minimum.V

An additionalobject is the provision of a device of this character which will be coml 'the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed Vand illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a face view of a safe showing my device associated therewith and showing the wiring connections, Fig. 2 is a plan view of my device in set position,

Fig. 3 is a similar view inV released p0- Y sition,

'Fig 4 is a cross sectional Vview taken through the trigger mechanism, Y Fig. 5 is a side elevation 'of the device on a larger scale than Fig. 1', and

Fig. 6 'is a detail cross sectional view showing the mounting of the spring-pressed actuating arm,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of these parts detached,

Y Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the armature, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the trigger.

Specification of Lettersk Patent.

`rReferring more particularly to thedrawf ings, the letter A designates Aa time lock-safe, B .designates the doorV thereof, and C designates the closing handle.

In carrying outymfy invention 1I provide a supporting base 10 `which may be-in the `nature of an elongated wooden block, though it will be apparent that some other suitable structure ymight be provided. lSecured centrally upon this base is a bracket 11 having bearing ears 12 through `which is journaled a spindle 13 surrounded by a coil springv 14 which has/one end engaging the vbracket and its other endengaged -withinafslot 1'5 inthe end ofthe spindle.` The other end vof this spin dle'is squared, as shownv at'lG, and has secured thereon, as by means ofa suitable set-screw 17, an arm 18, :the terminal of whichcarries a ring`1-9. y

Connected-with this ring 19 isa spring 2() to which is connected achain 211which leads to the safe and which carries at 'its-freelend a ring 22engageable. over the handle-C fof the safe door. Y 'i l' 'Located within a suitable recess .'23 'in the base -10 is an electro-magnet 24 with lwhich* is associated an armature 25 carriedfby 'the arm 26 pivoted, as at 27,1ipon a braclietr28.

The arm 26 has formed thereon Aa right angularly extending portion 429 vvhavingfits free edge provided with a lip '30'. Pivote'cl' upon the base, as shown at 31, is a trigger beneath the lip 30. Y

Inthe installation of the device, use is made of any desired number of switches in the form of floor push buttons 33 and use is also made of an elevated wire'34 which extends across the room in which the device is located and which is connected with a suitable switch 35. The push buttons 33 and the switch 35 are interposed in circuit with the electro-magnet 24 and a suitable source of current 36. y

In the operation of the device the operator grasps the arm 18 and rotates it against the resistance of the spring 14C so that itwill lie upon the base 10 beneath the trigger 32, it being.' understood of course that the trigger must be initially swung out of the way. After the arm 18 is thus disposed the trigger 32 is swung to extend over the arm and has its free end engaged beneath thejlip 30 on the armature arm 26. It should be here stated that I referably provide 'a sheet metal shield 3 Y which extends from fthe Y rPatented J ,uly ,27, 1920. Application iled January 5, 1920. Serial No. 349,421. y* fr electro-magnet and its associated parts for rotecting the electro-magnet and trigger.

Ihe parts being thus set, the ring 22 on the end of'the chain 21 is engaged over the handle C of the safe, it being understood that the time locks on the safe mustrbe set and the handle moved to such position that the lugs on the door will just clear. Y

In the event of a vhold-up When the `bank employees are required to throw up their hands.7 it is intended that any employee near the Wire 31 should grasp the same and exert a pull thereon to close the switch 85, or else step on one of the push buttons 33. In eitherk event the result vwill be to close the circuit through the electrofmagnet 24 and the consequent energization of the magnet Willresult in attraction of the armature 25 which Will cause the lip 30 on the arm 26 to 4be moved out of engagementrwith the trigger 32.' 'Ihe tension of the Vspring 1-1 Will then swing Vthe arm 1S and this' will result in pulling -upon the chain 21 which will slam the door and move the handle C to locked position'. It will thus be apparent that the safe Will be protected from robbery as the time locks thereon cannot be released until the `time limit has expired. As safe doors are of different Weights it is necessary that in some instances the tensionof the spring 14 be greater than in other instances. My device provides for adjustment in this particular' as the arm 18 may be removed, a screw-driver engaged Within'theV slot 15 and the spindle rotated andthe envaged thereon;Y

study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simple and easily set device which Will efficiently proarm 18 then Vre-r rom the foregoing description. and. av

1. In combination' Xvith the handle of aV time lock safe door, an automatic door closing device comprising a spring-pressed arm, y

a liexible member connected With the arm andvvith the door handle, a trigger member engaging over saidarm and normally maintaining thesame under tension, a lever en'-V gaging said trigger member for holding the same in operative position, and electro-mag- Y netic means for moving ksaid lever outl of engagement With said trigger.

' 2. In combination with the handle of a time loclr safe door, a spring-pressed arm connected With'the handle,l ank electro-mag net, a levier` pivoted adjacent the electromagnet and carrying. an armature disposed over the cores thereof, and trigger bar en- :f gaging said lever and said arm and nor mally holding said arm under tension,said electro -magnets being in circuit With a source of current and a circuit closer Where-` by upon closing ofthe circuit the lever will be moved Vto releasev said triggermember whereby said arm Will swing to close the door. j .Y Y v In testimony whereof' I alix my signature.

ELMER G.' LEON. 

